Beneath These Lies (Beneath, #5)(62)

“Are we going to talk about the fact that I jumped you without a condom?”

Rix grinned. “Couldn’t wait for even a second, but I can’t say it bothers me.”

“So you’re not freaking out?”

He shook his head. “Are you? You’re on the pill, right?”

“The shot, so we’re good. And I’ve been tested. I’m clean.”

Rix slid his arm around my waist and pulled me close. “Then we’re fine. I wouldn’t put you at risk in any way, and certainly not that. I’ve never not used one, and I can’t say I’m in a hurry to start using them again after that.”

The lingering so was it good for you question was put to rest in my head. Of course it was. I stood a little taller, pride straightening my spine. For whatever reason, Rix had the same fascination with me that I had with him. I still didn’t understand it, but I wasn’t going to question it. Too many questions would dull the shine, because I was sure I didn’t have answers for most of them.

For right now, I was going to live in the moment and enjoy every bit I could. I knew all too well that everything could be snatched away in an instant, and I refused to miss appreciating this experience.

Rix led me out to the car, one hand on the small of my back. It reinforced the feeling of safety I always had in his presence. Like nothing could touch me. I craved that feeling almost as much as I craved him.

We slid into the SUV, and Rix gave instructions to Johnny as we rolled forward. “Back to my woman’s place. Take a different route than we did before, and make sure we aren’t being followed.”

Being followed?

I waited until he settled back in his seat before asking, “Are you worried the other gang would follow you?”

Rix shrugged. “It’s always possible. I don’t need to lead anyone directly to you. We took a long, backassward route on the way there just to be sure.”

Every time he said or did something that put me and my safety first, I fell a little further, a little harder. Honestly, though, who was I kidding? I was already past the point of no return.

Instead of taking a few minutes, we drove for twenty-five, and when we passed my favorite little hole-in-the-wall restaurant for po’boys, I asked Johnny to pull over. Rix didn’t raise so much as an eyebrow when he had Johnny run in and get us some. We devoured them before we even made it back to my house. Which raised the question . . .

“Are you going to come in the front door?”

“Your neighbors would be scandalized.”

My neighbors were good friends of my parents and kept a fairly close eye on my house at my father’s request.

“I don’t care.” It was the closest I’d come to a declaration.

“You might.”

“I don’t.”

Rix had Johnny slow the car two blocks away from my house. “I think this will be more fun.” He pulled the door open and hopped out.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m gonna race you.”

“Race me?”

“Whoever makes it inside first calls the shots tonight.”

This got my attention. But there was no time to respond because Rix was already shutting the door.

I slapped the back of the empty passenger seat. “Hurry!”

Johnny chuckled, low and rusty, indicating that while he might not see anything Rix didn’t want him to see, he certainly heard plenty.

He turned a corner and slowed at the next stop sign, the car seeming to move at a snail’s pace. I stemmed the urge to smack the seat again. Barely. Instead, I scanned the yards of the neighbors’ houses, my mind filling in images of Rix scaling brick walls and hopping garden gates.

When Johnny pulled up at the stop sign at the corner of my street, I yanked open the door and jumped out.

“Wha—”

“Thanks for the ride!” I tossed over my shoulder as I shut the door and took off down the broken sidewalk on my heels. I made it through my gate and flipped open my clutch to find my key. Unlocking the portico, I hurried to the inside door and unlocked it. I waited for the beep of the alarm, but it was silent.

“No freaking way. He couldn’t have—”

“He couldn’t have what?” Rix said, leaning against the wall near my stairway.

“How did you?”

I studied him closer, looking for tears in his jacket or smudges on his crisp white shirt. The only stain I could see was a red lipstick smudge on his collar, peeking out from beneath his suit coat. Oops.

I crossed to him and reached for the button. Rix’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t protest as I unbuttoned his suit coat and slid it off his shoulders.

When I’d used him for a sound-dampening device, I’d wrecked his shirt. But maybe if it didn’t set, the drycleaner could still get it out.

My hands went to the top button, and Rix’s fingers covered mine. “Whoa, duchess. According to the rules, I won, and I’m calling the shots.”

“Shhh. I’m trying to save your shirt.”

He looked down at the collar, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I’m pretty sure I know where that came from.”

“Which means it’s my responsibility to make sure the stain doesn’t set.” I moved his fingers aside and unbuttoned the placket, then peeled the shirt off his arms.